02914nas a2200313   4500000000100000008004100001653003500042653003900077653001600116653002000132653002500152100001500177700001100192700000900203700001700212700001300229700001200242700001500254700001500269700001400284700001500298700001100313245014100324856008600465300000800551490000700559520202000566022001402586       2018                            d10amass drug administration (MDA)10aNeglected tropical diseases (NTDs)10aPhilippines10aschistosomiasis10aTreatment compliance1 aInobaya MT1 aChau T1 aNg S1 aMacDougall C1 aOlveda R1 aTallo V1 aLandicho J1 aMalacad CM1 aAligato M1 aGuevarra J1 aRoss A00aMass drug administration and the sustainable control of schistosomiasis: an evaluation of treatment compliance in the rural Philippines.  uhttps://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s13071-018-3022-2  a4410 v113 a<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Preventive chemotherapy is the current global control strategy for schistosomiasis. The WHO target coverage rate is at least 75% for school-aged children. In the Philippines, the reported national coverage rate (43.5%) is far below the WHO target. This study examined the factors associated with non-compliance to mass drug administration.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2015 among 2189 adults in the province of Northern Samar, the Philippines using a structured face-to-face survey questionnaire.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>The overall rate of non-compliance to mass drug administration (MDA) in the last treatment round was 27%. Females (aOR = 1.67, P = 0.033) were more likely to be non-compliant. Respondents who believed that schistosomiasis was acquired by open defecation and poor sanitation (aOR = 1.41, P = 0.015), and by drinking unclean water (aOR = 2.09, P = 0.001) were more likely to refuse treatment. Uncertainties on whether schistosomiasis can be treated (aOR = 2.39, P = 0.033), their fear of adverse reactions to praziquantel (aOR = 1.94, P = 0.021), misconceptions about alternative forms of treatment (aOR = 1.45, P = 0.037), and that praziquantel is used for purposes other than deworming (aOR = 2.15, P = 0.021) were all associated with a higher odd of non-compliance. In contrary, being a farmer (aOR = 0.62, P =0.038), participation in past MDA (aOR = 0.30, P &lt; 0.001), informed about impending MDA (aOR = 0.08, P &lt; 0.001), and having heard of schistosomiasis (aOR = 0.22, P = 0.045) were all significantly associated with reduced non-compliance.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>To improve drug compliance for schistosomiasis there is an urgent need for intensive health education campaigns before conducting MDA that would not only provide disease specific information, but also deal with prevailing misconceptions about transmission, prevention, treatment, and drug side-effects.</p>
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